COPPA Compliance
Plodyo is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of children in full compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. 6501-6506, and the COPPA Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 312. This page explains how we handle the personal information of children under the age of 13 and the rights of parents and guardians in relation to that information.
Last Updated: June 10, 2026
What is COPPA?
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law that imposes requirements on operators of websites and online services directed to children under 13, or that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before any personal information is collected from a child.
Scope of COPPA
COPPA applies to the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 by online services. Personal information under COPPA includes a child's name, address, telephone number, email address, social security number, screen name, photograph, geolocation information, or any other information that could be used to identify or contact a child.
Plodyo's Approach
Plodyo does not permit children to create accounts directly. All accounts are created and managed by adults: parents or legal guardians for family use, or licensed educators and organisation administrators for educational use. Children interact with the platform exclusively through adult-managed accounts, ensuring that no personal information is collected from a child without verified parental or institutional consent.
No Direct Collection from Children
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from any child under the age of 13. All personal information associated with a child profile — including first name, age group, and story preferences — is provided by the parent, guardian, or authorised educator managing the account. Children do not complete registration forms, enter email addresses, or communicate directly with Plodyo.
Parental Consent
Plodyo requires verifiable parental consent before any data is collected in connection with a child profile. The following explains how consent is obtained and managed.
Consent at Registration
When a parent or guardian creates a Plodyo account and adds a child profile, they are presented with a clear disclosure regarding the data that will be collected in connection with the child's use of the platform. By completing registration and accepting our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, the parent or guardian provides verifiable consent on behalf of the child in accordance with COPPA requirements.
Educator and Institutional Consent
In educational contexts, COPPA permits schools and educators to provide consent on behalf of parents for the use of online services in the educational setting, provided that the service is used for educational purposes only and parents are notified. Plodyo's educator accounts operate under this school consent exception. Educators are responsible for ensuring that their institution has obtained appropriate parental notifications and consents in accordance with their school's data governance obligations.
Withdrawal of Consent
Parents and guardians may withdraw their consent and request deletion of their child's personal information at any time. To withdraw consent, please contact us at support@plodyo.com with the subject line: COPPA CONSENT WITHDRAWAL. We will action the request within 30 days and confirm deletion by email. Following withdrawal, the child's profile and associated data will be permanently removed from our systems.
Information Collected in Connection with Children
The following describes the specific categories of information collected in connection with child profiles on the Plodyo platform and the purpose for which each category is used.
First Name
A child's first name may optionally be provided by the parent or educator when creating a child profile. It is used solely to personalise story content. We recommend using a first name only and advise against providing a full name.
Age Group
The child's age group (for example, 0-2, 3-5, or 6-7 years) is used to tailor story complexity, vocabulary, and themes to an appropriate developmental level. Exact date of birth is not required or requested.
Story Preferences
Story topic preferences, preferred language, and gender pronoun preferences for story characters are optionally provided by the parent or educator. These are used exclusively to personalise AI-generated story content and library recommendations.
Usage Data
Anonymised usage data, such as stories accessed and features used, is collected at the account level for platform improvement purposes. This data is not linked to a child's individual identity and is processed in aggregate only.
What We Do Not Collect
Plodyo does not collect full legal names, physical addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, photographs, geolocation data, or any other directly identifiable personal information from or about children. We do not permit children to upload photos, submit user-generated text, or communicate with other platform users.
Use and Sharing of Children's Data
Children's data is used only to provide the service and is shared only with the third-party providers necessary to deliver that service. We do not sell or share children's data for commercial or advertising purposes.
Permitted Uses
Child profile data is used exclusively to generate personalised stories and recommend appropriate library content. Story preferences and age group information are transmitted to third-party AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, and Replicate) solely to fulfil the generation request. Each provider is bound by strict data processing agreements that prohibit using this data for model training, advertising, or any secondary purpose.
No Advertising or Profiling
Plodyo does not display targeted advertising to any user, including children. We do not build behavioural profiles of children and do not share child data with advertising networks, data brokers, or marketing platforms under any circumstances.
No Sale of Children's Data
Plodyo does not sell personal information belonging to children under any circumstances. This prohibition is absolute and applies regardless of any other data sharing arrangements we may have with third parties.
Retention of Children's Data
Child profile data is retained only for as long as the parent or guardian account remains active. Upon account deletion or parental request, all child profile data and associated content is permanently deleted from our systems within 30 days.
Parental Rights Under COPPA
COPPA provides parents and guardians with specific rights in relation to their child's personal information. Plodyo is committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights promptly and without undue burden.
Right to Review
Parents have the right to review the personal information we have collected from or about their child at any time. To submit a review request, contact us at support@plodyo.com with the subject line: COPPA DATA REVIEW REQUEST. We will provide access to the relevant data within 30 days.
Right to Delete
Parents may request the deletion of all personal information collected from or about their child at any time. Deletion requests may be submitted to support@plodyo.com with the subject line: COPPA DELETION REQUEST. We will action the deletion within 30 days and confirm completion. Note that deletion of child data may require deletion of the associated parent account.
Right to Refuse Further Collection
Parents may refuse to permit further collection or use of their child's personal information by closing the account or by contacting support@plodyo.com. Upon receiving such a request, we will cease all further collection of data in connection with the child profile and delete existing data within 30 days.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Parents may withdraw previously given consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. Withdrawal of consent will result in the deletion of all associated child data and the inability to continue using child profile features on the platform.
FERPA Compliance for Educator Accounts
For accounts used in educational settings, Plodyo also operates in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99.
What is FERPA?
FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to schools that receive funding from the United States Department of Education. FERPA gives parents the right to access and correct their child's education records and limits disclosure of those records to third parties.
Plodyo's Role Under FERPA
When Plodyo is used by educators in a school environment, Plodyo acts as a school official with a legitimate educational interest, as defined under FERPA. Student data shared with Plodyo by educators is used solely for the educational purpose of providing the storytelling service and is not disclosed to third parties for any other purpose.
Educator Responsibilities
Educators and school administrators using Plodyo are responsible for ensuring that their institution has complied with applicable FERPA obligations, including parent notification and data governance requirements. Plodyo provides educators with data processing controls sufficient to manage student data in compliance with FERPA. For further information, visit the official FERPA resource at studentprivacy.ed.gov/ferpa.
Contact Us Regarding COPPA
If you have questions about our COPPA compliance practices, wish to exercise parental rights, or have concerns about the handling of a child's personal information, please contact our dedicated support team. We respond to all COPPA-related enquiries within 5 business days.
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